Course Organization
This course teaches participants to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate or prevent a variety of common emergencies. The course is taught entirely outdoors. The course focuses on active participation. The course typically runs from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM with a one-hour break for lunch.

Prerequisites
1. Prepare a personal emergency service kit.
2. Prepare a family emergency kit.
Gathering all of the supplies required for both kits requires a lot of work and transporting all of the materials to Birch Bend is not practical. Therefore, it is acceptable to substitute photographs of the required items. It is also acceptable to make a list of the required supplies. Both lists of recommended supplies can be downloaded from our web site.

The course covers the following topics
1. Participants learn to construct an improvised stretcher from available materials and transport an injured person. Participants also learn two additional techniques for moving an injured person. There is a short discussion about when it is appropriate to move an injured person.
2. Participants take part in a mock search and rescue mission.
3. Participants use a safety checklist to inspect one of the buildings at Birch Bend for hazards. There is short follow-up discussion on the hazards and how they could be corrected.
4. Participants practice techniques for saving a person from the following situations;
a. Touching a live household electric wire.
b. A room filled with carbon monoxide.
c. Clothing on fire.
d. Drowning using non-swimming rescues.
5. Participants practice attracting and communicating with rescue aircraft using the following techniques;
a. Construction of ground signals
b. Use of mirrors.
c. Use of signal fires and smoke signals
d. Use of hand signals
6. Participants take part in a leader moderated discussion of the following aspects of emergency preparedness;
a. How to prepare for emergency situations
b. How to respond to emergency situations
c. How to recover from emergency situations
d. How to prevent or at least minimize the impact of emergency situations
7. Participants will make a chart showing how they would apply 6a – 6d to the following emergency situations
a. Home kitchen fire
b. Home basement / storage room / garage fire
c. Explosion at home
d. Automobile accident
e. Food poisoning
f. Vehicle trapped in a blizzard
g. Boating Accident
h. Gas leak at home or in a public building
i. Tornado, hurricane, or windstorm
j. Violence in a public place
8. After returning home, participants are required to meet with their family and teach them how to make a family emergency kit and plan for the emergencies discussed in 7a – 7j.
9. Prepare a written plan for mobilizing a group for an emergency situation.
10. Take part in a practice mobilization for the group
11. Learn who is in charge of preparing for emergencies in Minnesota and what this individual does.
12. Learn what state agencies normally handle emergency situations in Minnesota and find out if there are volunteer opportunities.
13. Learn how to safely handle
a. Crowd and traffic control
b. Messenger service and communications
c. Collection and distribution services
d. Group feeding, shelter, and sanitation

This course meets all of the requirements for the Boy Scout Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge with the exception of the First Aid requirement. Scouts may complete the First Aid Merit Badge before or after this course.

Family Emergency Kit
- Three day supply of water. One gallon per person per day.
- Nonperishable packaged or canned food and a nonelectric can opener
- Eating utensils
- Any special food or other items for babies, elderly people, or family members with disabilities or special needs.
- Family first aid kit
- Prescription medications or mediations taken on a regular basis.
- Battery powered radio
- Flashlight or lantern
- Extra batteries
- Matches in a waterproof container
- Blankets or a sleeping bag for each member of the family
- Emergency toilet. Use a five gallon bucket with a snug lid. Line the bucket with plastic garbage can liners. Chlorine bleach can be used for odor control.